Have you ever met anyone who DIDN’T like pizza? I have come across a lot of picky eaters in my time and I can’t remember one who has an aversion to this king of all dishes. It’s kind of a no-brainer: yummy toppings on top of a crispy bread crust, baked until bubbly and delicious. The best part is that you can very simply make a slew of variations on the original theme so that everyone in your family is happy.

For any pizza aficionado, the true sign of great pizza is the crust. It all starts and ends there. In my experience, whole wheat pizza dough can either be delicious or as heavy and dense as a rock. This recipe uses half wheat and half white flours, so it has some added nutrition while also staying light and airy. I usually make a batch and then keep it around for whenever my family is in the mood — what’s better then having frozen pizza dough in the freezer that’s ready to be topped with all your favorite goodies?

On Monday I made one for my and Kenya’s lunch with simple red sauce and veggies, last night I made one for my husband with pesto and mozzarella and I still have 2 servings of dough left for whenever we need or want more. No dialing out for dinner, no wasting money on delivery or takeout, just healthy, homemade pizza that you can enjoy any time, AND it doesn’t come out of a box from the freezer section!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (Makes Four 8 inch Pizza Dough Disks)

1 Package Dry Yeast
1 1/3 Cups Lukewarm Water
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Olive Oil, plus extra for greasing bowl and brushing on pizza crusts
1 Tbso Honey
1 1/2 Tsp Salt

*Pizza toppings: Marinara Sauce, Pesto, Olive Oil, Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Veggies and more.

1. Combine yeast and water in a bowl and allow to stand until foamy, about 5 minutes (Make sure to check the expiration date on the yeast. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may be old and you will need to buy fresh yeast).
2. Stir the flour and salt in a bowl or a bowl of a standing mixer (using a dough hook attachment).
3. Add the olive oil and honey to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients mix on low for 3 minutes or until smooth and elastic (you could also combine the liquid with the flours in a bowl and knead the dough on a clean surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic). You want the dough to be smooth and bounce back when you press it.
5. Transfer ball to an oiled bowl and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 seconds. Cut into 4 equal balls and form each into rounds and flatten with your hands into a disk. Let the 4 disks rest for 5 minutes.
8. Take a disk and pull and stretch the dough until it is approximately 9 inches across. You want the dough to be thin so it will get really crispy.
9. Bake the pizza dough for 5 minutes, remove and top with sauce, cheese and veggies and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
10. Serve.

*Freezing: Place one round disk on a parchment lined plate or cookie sheet and layer the rest of the disks on top with parchment in between. Freeze for one hour and then transfer the stack of chilled pizza disks to a freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
*When ready: remove the disks from the freezer and let them defrost in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, let them come to room temperature and continue to follow steps 8-10.

At this time of year — from Thanksgiving through Christmas — I just can’t get enough of tangy cranberries and sweet oranges. The combination of these fruits is so traditionally festive to me and since I’ve watched Kenya down an entire cup of cranberry sauce in one sitting on more then one occasion, I knew he would love this bread. The other thing I love about this cranberry orange nut bread is that it is full of fruit and protein and has NO refined sugar, so you won’t feel guilty letting the little ones dig in as much as they like. I decided to make mini loaves so I could give them to friends as holiday gifts, but you could just as easily cook it in a single 9 x 5 inch pan and enjoy the entire loaf at home with your family!

Cranberry Nut Bread (1 9×5 inch loaf or 6 mini loaves)

2 1/2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Agave or Honey
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Grated Orange zest
1 Cup Fresh Cranberries, chopped
3/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3. Cream the butter and agave and then add the orange juice, egg, vanilla and orange zest.
4. Pour the flour into the butter mixture to combine. Add the cranberries and walnut. Do not over mix.
5. Pour mixture into a 9×5 inch greased loaf pan or 6 greased individual mini loaves.
6. Bake 55-60 minutes for the 9×5 inch pan or 35 minutes for the smaller loaves.
7. Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan, remove and cool or a wire rack.
8. Serve.

Ooey, Gooey, Yummy! These are the words that come to mind when I make these heavenly breakfast treats. These aren’t like those Mc-whatever sandwiches; filled with all sorts of unhealthy additives and saturated fats, these are the real deal, only much more fresh and healthy.
You could even wrap them up, roll over to the park and have the perfect picnic.
These wee-muffins only took me minutes to prepare, and we all salivated in the test kitchen when we took the first bite. I was a little wary about giving Kenya such a mountain of a
sandwich, so I cut it into bite size pieces for him. He and I sat out in our front yard (our version of a picnic) and he let out a big “mmm’s” bite after bite.

Egg Wee-Muffins (Makes 2 Sandwiches)

2 Eggs
1 Tbsp Milk
2 Slices Canadian Bacon
1 Tsp Butter plus extra for English Muffin
2 slices cheddar cheese
2 Whole Wheat English Muffins

1. Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl.
2. In a saute pan over medium heat, cook canadian bacon 2 minutes on each side.
3. Remove to a plate add 1 tsp of butter to the pan
4. Cook the eggs for 2-3 minutes, forming the eggs into the shape of an omelette.
5. With a knife, cut the omelette in half.
6. Place cheese slices on top of each omelette in the pan and cover. Cook over low heat for 1-2 more minutes.
7. Toast english muffin and spread with butter
8. Place bacon, egg, & cheese in the English muffin and serve.

People often ask me why I make so many vegan recipes. There are actually tons of reasons, one being that I have several vegan friends, so I frequently cook for them.
But the second reason is that so many kids today have allergies to a variety of foods, many specifically to dairy and eggs. Since vegans don’t eat any animal products or foods made by animals such as honey, these dishes are good for some kids with specific allergies.
I made these pancakes for a bunch of friends who aren’t vegan and they didn’t know that they were dairy and egg free until they had cleaned their plates . Light as feathers, but with tons of depth of flavor and added texture from the spelt or buckwheat, these pancakes are a real treat. I actually served them for dessert later that night and the kids had a blast eating them with their hands and dipping them in syrup. See, pancakes really can be enjoyed morning, noon and night!

Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes (Makes 18 Pancakes)

1 Cup White Flour
1/2 Cup Buckwheat or Spelt Flour (I tested both versions and they were equally delicious)
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/4 Cup Rice Milk (you could also use soy or almond milk)
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup, plus extra for serving with pancakes
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree, canned

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine (don’t over mix, some lumps are fine).
4. Heat a griddle or large saute pan over medium heat and lightly
grease with oil.
5. Ladle as many pancakes as possible (about 2 tbsp of batter for each one) on the griddle and cook 2 minutes or until bubbles start forming on the surface and the bottom is golden brown.
6. Flip the pancakes and cook another 2 minutes.
7. Repeat the process until you run out of batter (you can hold the finished pancakes in a 250 degree oven while you finish making the pancakes).
7. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy.

*Allow to cool, place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, place in toaster oven or oven at 300 and heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.

We used these to make this recipe:

Chef’s Design 20-Inch Double Burner Reversible Grill/Griddle

As a kid growing up in the south, cornbread in any form — be it sticks, muffins, whatever — was a staple. My grandmother used to take her old seasoned cast iron corn pone mold (a southern style cornbread) and grease it with fat drippings she kept in a jar above the stove. Then she would fill it with sweet corn batter which came out crisp, tender and delicious. I just can’t imagine how many calories there were!

Sadly (or should I say “fortunately” — sorry grandma!), we don’t keep a jar of drippings in our kitchen, but the taste of these muffins run a very close second, are healthy and they only take minutes to prepare. I especially like this recipe because they have a crunchy top, a tender middle and they’re perfectly sweet from the agave instead of a cup of sugar like my grandmother’s recipe calls for.

I made 2 dozen of these thinking I would have plenty for days. Nice try, they were gone within 48 hours. My husband would eat like five in one sitting. Oh well, better double the recipe next time.

Tiny Corn Muffins (Makes 24 Muffins)

1 3/4 Cup Cornmeal
3/4 Cup Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Honey or Agave
1 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Whisk the remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl until
thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the wet ingredients and thoroughly
combine with a whisk.
5. Pour into 24 greased mini muffin cups.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when
inserted inside.
7. Cool and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

KitchenAid Precision 24-cup Mini Muffin Pan

These feel like an authentic English or Irish dish to me. Or maybe it’s a 
New England treat. I don’t know where fish pies were born, but I do know they’re gorgeous and delicious. I try to avoid using too much butter whenever possible, but from the time I was a kid, I knew that there was one indisputable culinary fact: if it had a crust, it had to be delicious!
Having pre-made puff pastry in the freezer is a lifesaver for whenever you are making anything with a crust, so I always have some on hand. The golden puff pastry in this dish encloses a warm, creamy mixture of fish and sweet vegetables. It’s so creamy in fact that you would think it’s made with heavy cream, but in fact it’s just an easy mixture of milk and a roux. Yes, moms and dads, you get to be culinary geniuses this week and make a roux, which is SO easy to do! I guarantee this will be a hit for even those little ones that turn their noses up at vegetables. Give it a try.


 Fish Pie’s (Makes 4 Individual Ramekins for Big Kids or 1 Large One)

1 1/2 Cups Milk (I prefer whole milk for this recipe)
1 Cup Broccoli Florets, fresh or frozen
1 Large Carrot, peeled and diced
1 Ear of Corn or 1/2 Cup Frozen
2 Sole Fillets, fresh or frozen (or 1/2 Lb halibut, haddock or cod)
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 Box Puff Pastry, 1 sheet (I like Dufours or Pepperidge Farms), defrosted
1 Egg, whisked with 1 tsp water (this is known as an egg wash for the crust)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan.
3. Add the broccoli and carrots and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the corn and fish and continue to cook for 4 more minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
5. Remove the vegetables to a separate bowl. Break the fish into pieces and chop the broccoli into bite size pieces if needed.
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. When it’s melted add the flour and whisk making a roux.
7. Add the milk a little at a time until mixture is a thick saucy consistency.
8. Add the sauce to the fish and vegetables and combine.
9. Pour the mixture into individual ramekins.
10. Sprinkle work surface with a bit of flour and roll out puff pastry to remove lines (only if necessary).
11. Cut out 4 individual circles, using a knife, just larger then the top of each ramekin.
12. Divide the fish mixture between the 4 ramekins and cover with puff pastry sheet.
13. Brush each puff pastry ramekin with egg wash.
14. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.
15. Serve.

When I was 6 months pregnant with Kenya, my husband and I went to Paris for some work as well as some much needed R and R. I had actually lived in Paris for years when I was younger so I was excited to walk all over the city showing him my favorite neighborhoods and old haunts. There’s nothing like being pregnant in the most romantic city in the world and walking by patisseries and bistros all day. It’s an automatic excuse to eat a lot. As a result, we didn’t take one form of public transportation the entire trip, since I didn’t want to miss a single culinary delight and we needed to walk our multiple meals off!

One of my favorite treats are crepes. These heavenly, light, little pancakes are the perfect base for all types of fillings like mashed bananas, almond butter, fruit preserves and, dare I suggest, Nutella (very common in France).

I made these for Kenya and myself for breakfast and he loved them. I covered them with apple butter and rolled them into little cigar-shaped cylinders which he held and ate at his leisure. When the rest of the batch was cool, I just wrapped them up and put them in the fridge so we could still eat them for a few days.

Crepes (Makes 14 Crepes)

2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
Butter for sauteing

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight (this helps the bubbles to settle and the crepes not to tear).
3. Grease a saute pan or crepe pan with butter. Pour in 2 tbsp of batter and swirl to cover the pan.
4. Cook for 1 minutes, flip and continue to cook another 30 seconds or until just starting to become golden.
5. Remove to a plate and continue to make remaining crepes.
6. Spread with apple butter, almond butter, mashed bananas, fruit preserves or any other favorite filling.
7. Roll into a cigar shape.
8. Serve.

*After step 5, allow to cool, place crepes on a sheet tray, layer a piece of parchment paper between each crepe, place in ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours and heat in a dry pan for 30 seconds on each side and follow steps 5-8.

I fell in love with The Handstand Cookbook series the first time I saw it. It’s the perfect gift for budding little chefs and parents who want to cook with their kids. There’s a Mexican cookbook kit, an Italian kit and Chinese on the way. The books are even arranged by levels of difficulty for each recipe so you know when you should give a little extra help.
I talked to the founder of the company, Yvette Garfield, about testing one of her recipes, but giving it a weelicious twist. I salivated from the first time I read her recipe for “Lasagna into Chilaquiles”. It reminded me of a dish that my Mexican “mother” made for me when I was an exchange student living in Toluca, Mexico, so I knew had to recreate it.
By adding baked blue corn chips instead of regular fried tortilla chips and adding a little milk to make the eggs even fluffier, it lightened the dish up a bit, but kept all of the intended yummy flavor. I made these for me, Kenya and a friend for breakfast and we all sat as happy as clams devouring our perfect chilaquiles. Ole!


Chilaquiles with a Weelicious Twist (Serves 4)

1 Small Onion, diced
1 Tbsp Oil
4 Cups Baked Blue Corn Chips (I used Guiltless Gourmet)
6 Eggs, beaten
1/4 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Cups Mild Salsa (I used Pace Chunky Salsa)
1 Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
Sour Cream, optional
Guacamole, optional

1. Heat a large saute pan over low/medium heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent.
2. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl.
3. Add the corn chips to the pan.
3. Pour the egg mixture over the corn chips and stir over low/medium heat for 1 minute.
4. Add the salsa and cheese and cook for 3-4 minutes, continually stirring the mixture until cheese is melted. .
5. Garnish with guacamole and sour cream and serve.

The inspiration for this recipe came from some gorgeous, uber-ripe Bartlett pears I found last week at the farmer’s market. At first thought I would make Kenya some pear puree or just slice them for a snack, but then I remembered I had some canned organic pumpkin at home and wondered if that combination would work.

I’ve never seen pumpkin-pear bread, but it sounded like something yummy to eat in the autumn. The pears were so ripe, all I did was peel and mash them before adding to the recipe.

QUICK TIP: if you don’t have ripe pears you could place them next to bananas in a fruit bowl and they will ripen faster.

I’m usually not a fan of any type of canned fruit or veggie, but canned pumpkin really is a life saver. It’s really a pain to make pumpkin puree, even when you roast it, the flavors never quite become as rich and sweet as the canned variety. So, this is one of those times that I give into convenience.
When Kenya woke up from his nap, the smell of fresh bread was all through the house. After it cooled we sat and tried it with all kinds of yummy spreads like pumpkin butter, apple butter, honey and just plain butter.

Mmmm… fall really is here!

Pumpkin-Pear Bread (makes 1 9×5 inch loaf or 6 small loaves)

1/4 Cup Agave Nectar or Honey
1/4 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree, preferably organic
1 Ripe Pear, peeled and mashed (it’s ok if there are small chunks) or a little over 1/2 cup pear puree
2 Large Eggs
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and agave with a standing or handheld mixer.
3. Add the pumpkin and pear purees.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. In a separate bowl sift the flour and remaining ingredients.
6. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time until combined. Do not overly mix or beat the mixture.
7. Place in a 6 individual greased loaf pans or in one 9×5 inch greased loaf pan.
8. Bake for 20 minutes for small loaf pans or 1 hour for single loaf.
9. Cool for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the loaf pan to help release on to a cooling rack.
10. Cool and serve.

*A regular weelicious Mommy made muffins instead of the bread which cooked for 15-20 minutes and replaced maple syrup for the agave. She said they were delicious!

Every time we go to a Mexican or Middle Eastern restaurant with Kenya, the first thing he grabs for are the chips. He loves them but I don’t want his taste buds to get too used to the super salty and fried flavor of them. So, I decided to come up with a recipe for pita chips that are healthy, delicious, really easy to make and Kenya can snack on them all week.
I used just a sprinkle of parmesan for a nutty salty flavor and some garlic powder to kick them up a bit. He devoured these like you can’t imagine. I made “Baby Ghanoosh” at the same time and he had a blast trying to dip the pita chips in the eggplant spread and licking it off before taking bites of the chips. I love a fun culinary activity for kids that’s also actually healthy for them.

Crisp-wee Pita Chips (Makes 72 Chips)

3 6 inch Whole Wheat Pita
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the pitas in half and then into pie shaped pieces or strips
(you can cut them into any shape you want).
3. Place the pita pieces on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle with garlic powder and parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they start to turn a golden color.
6. Cool and serve.